Empty Promises
by PEANUT v1.2
Summary: As an under-appreciated soldier, Lightning was used to the empty promises of her bosses. But her world is about to change with a chance encounter with somebody who doesn't treat her the same as others. Lightning/Riku
1. Empty Promises

**Author's note: Hey there people. I was suddenly inspired to write this the other day and envisioned it being a oneshot, but once I started writing, I just couldn't stop. xD Thus this is not the only part of the story. The next chapters will be up soon. As of now, it's just going to be a three-shot with a SLIM chance of turning into a full story.**

**All that being said, enjoy what I'm giving you now. (:**

_Empty Promises_

"Lightning, you stay in your room and sulk forever," Serah's voice called from outside Lightning's bedroom door.

The soldier rolled her eyes as she sat on her bed, a book in her hands as she looked to the door out of the corner of her eye. "Who's sulking?" she called in return. Not her. She just didn't want to be at the party that Serah was throwing in the other parts of the house, even if Serah invited certain people for Lightning's sake. She found such joy with Snow that she wanted Lightning to have the same type of joy, even if she had to beat her over the head with twenty men until Lightning found the right one.

Well, Lightning wasn't interested in playing that game. She worked alone.

"Um, you are," Serah said. She peeked her head in the door, her blue eyes stern but also gentle with her twenty-one year old sister. "C'mon, Lightning, you can't stay in here forever. I know you had a bad day at work, but still…Socializing could help you feel better."

"Doubt it," Lightning mumbled lowly, mostly to herself. Especially if Serah invited NORA, which she did. Serah invited a lot of people, because she was friends with every person she met. She easily made friends…but Lightning didn't. She didn't have the urge to.

Serah sighed. "I didn't want to do this, but if you don't come out, I'm breaking out the baby pictures."

Lightning looked away from her book, pale blue eyes studying Serah. "You wouldn't…" But she knew that she would. Serah always meant what she said.

"Be out in two minutes," Serah said sternly to her older sister. She shut the door and walked away.

This time, it was Lightning's turn to sigh. Why did she have to get dragged into this? Like Serah said, she had a bad day at work today. All that she wanted to do was stay in her room and-And what? Mope? That was pathetic. Suddenly, she had new motivation to go to the party. She wouldn't let herself be immature and mope just because of another empty promise.

She tsked, getting off the bed and walking over to the mirror. She was still in her Guardian Corps outfit. Serah would kill her if she came out to the party like this…Shaking her head in disapproval at the thought of getting more dressed up, she did it anyway. She put in a pair of dark skinny-jeans and a white tank top underneath a black sweater. The only reason she had these clothes was because of Serah; she wouldn't let her walk around in her uniform twenty-four/seven.

She straightened her shirt and fixed her hair in silence, her curls dangling over one shoulder as always. "This'll have to do," she said mostly to herself. Nodding to the image in the mirror, she turned and exited her room, walking to the living room where all the people were gathered. It looked there were two dozen people packed into this area, and Light could get that there were others outside hanging out. Serah's parties were always popular.

"Lightning, you came out!" a voice to her right said. The girl looked over and nodded, looking pretty solemn at the girl she knew but didn't like.

"Lebreau," she greeted.

"I was wondering how Serah would coax you out of your room," Lebreau, a member of NORA, said with a laugh. "What final got you out?"

Lightning shrugged. "Blackmail."

"My sweet Serah, using blackmail against her sister the soldier?" a person said to her left. Lightning barely had time to turn her head in time to see who the person was, though she recognized the voice immediately. Snow Villiers, the boyfriend of her sister who just wouldn't buzz off. "Hey, sis," he formally greeted Lightning, setting a hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged out from underneath Snow's hand with ease. "I'm not your sister."

"No, of course not," Gadot, yet another member of NORA, said as he suddenly approached the group. "He hasn't put a ring on Serah's finger yet. And besides, who would want to admit being related to this loser?"

Snow laughed, stepping over as he put an arm around Gadot's neck in a fake choke-hold. "Why I oughta…" he said playfully, smirking down at his best friend and partner in crime. That was what they were. Masquerading around as heroes, they thought they were more effective than the Guardian Corps. They weren't even in the same league as them.

Lightning slipped away from the group while they were wrapped up in their own goofiness. She backed up cautiously from the group so that nobody could catch her off guard, but they weren't paying attention to her anymore. She couldn't have been more grateful. If she had to be out here and socializing with people at the party, it wouldn't be with any of those people.

"Don't like NORA very much, do you?"

She turned around and saw a young man leaning against the wall of the living room, arms folded across his chest casually. But that stance also showed off the muscles in his arms and chest, along with the button-up shirt that was black and a little tight on him. The black in his shirt contrasted his silver hair and aqua eyes, which were bright. Altogether, she guessed that he was right around her age of twenty-one. She shook her head to chase away the thoughts, answering his inquiry.

"NORA stands for 'No Obligations, Rules, or Authority'. That's the opposite of what's true for real heroes."

"Agreed," the stranger said without hesitation. His boldness and acceptance of Lightning's words made her blink. She wasn't used to that. "They're reckless."

"And immature," Lightning added. "A code like that only proves that they have no idea that life isn't a game. They go around killing monsters, but they don't know what real danger is."

"I've never heard somebody actually put my thoughts into words like that," the young man said, smirking as he uncrossed his arms from over his chest. He stuck out a hand towards Lightning as he introduced himself. "I'm Riku. You must be Serah's 'grumpy' older sister."

"Grumpy, huh?" Lightning asked with a small smirk of her own, shaking Riku's hand. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Snow Villiers, though he said it in an affectionate tone."

"Ugh. I may as well slap him for the tone," Lightning said, lifting a hand to her forehead as she shook her head. Snow was way too chummy with people, especially her. It ticked her off.

"Hopefully you can restrain yourself for a while," Riku stated. "Wouldn't want to make a scene."

"My sister would kill me if I beat up her boyfriend."

Riku arched a brow. "You could take her. You're the soldier in the family."

Lightning chuckled briefly, shaking her head once more as she lifted her pale blue eyes to Riku, who was a few inches taller than her. "In a physical fight, yeah. But Serah always wins our arguments. It's impossible for me to stand seeing her sad."

"You love your sister, huh?" Riku asked softly.

The soldier nodded, turning a little bit to see Serah laughing and smiling with her boyfriend Snow. "I do," she said quietly. "I love her enough to let her keep dating that kook. I just hope she comes to her senses soon and ditches him."

"You're not one to mince words, are you?" he asked with some amusement in his tone. Lightning only shrugged in response.

"My feelings about Snow aren't a secret from anyone. Most people just ignore them." When Riku hummed to confirm that he understood, she continued, though she was mumbling now. "Besides, today was such a bad day I don't care what anybody thinks."

"That bad, huh?" Riku said to Lightning. Apparently he had a good ear if he could hear and decipher what she said. "You wanna talk about it?"

"What, you mean, pour out my heart to a stranger?" Lightning asked with an arched brow. Right after the words left her lips, the music in the area was turned up so it was blaring very loudly. Clearly everyone was meant to start dancing now.

"It's either that or stay in here and dance," Riku stated with a casual shrug. "Up to you."

"Hmph," Lightning hummed with a bitter smile, glancing at Serah and seeing her smile at her. As long as Serah knew she was socializing with somebody, then she wouldn't bring out the baby pictures. Going with Riku seemed to be her only option, since she refused to dance. "Alright. Let's go outside."

She turned and started out of the room, weaving her way between the people who were dancing and already acting like maniacs. Thank goodness nobody from NORA noticed her or tried to stop her on her way out. If she had to choose between dancing and talking, she'd choose talking.

The two stepped outside Lightning's front door, the air comfortable in the night as the stars shone brightly in the sky. It was a beautiful night. She ignored it, walking towards the bench that was out front and sitting down on one side of it. Riku, quite wisely, didn't try to make a move on her and sit within extremely close proximity. He sat just the right distance away to give her space but also show he wasn't put off by her boldness.

"So, you work with the Corps?" Riku asked after a moment. When he saw Lightning nod out of the corner of her eye, he asked another question. "And you were working there today, and it put you in a bad mood?" Again she nodded, not being prodded by the questions like she was meant to be. "…Are you gonna talk about it or just nod your head?"

"I don't know…it could be funny to see how long you can keep the questions going. And it would kill more time so I don't have to go back to the actual party."

"Ah, so that's what you're scheming," Riku said with a small smirk. "Can't say I blame you. I'm not big on parties either."

Finally, Lightning turned her head and looked over at the young man who was staring up at the stars. "What brought you to this party, then?" she asked.

"Peer pressure, basically. I've got friends who say I'm anti-social, so I came to prove to them I'm not. It should get them off my backs for…oh say, a week."

"Lucky you," Lightning said, surprisingly amused. "Serah will be bugging me by the end of the night because I'm not in there dancing."

"Still time to change your mind," Riku stated, as if were offering her a million dollar prize.

She only shook her head. "I'm good," she said. "Go on, keep asking all the questions."

"Hmph. Alright then…" The silver haired young man shifted his gaze to the sky, as if thinking. "What's your rank?"

"Sergeant."

"You been working there long?"

"Over three years, since I graduated high school."

"You like it?"

She shrugged. "Most of the time." Shockingly, Riku could read her easily enough that he could tell that she had more to say than just that. After a few moments, she did continue talking, and instead of giving the same stoic answers she had before, her response was more personal. "I just…I'm sick of all the empty promises. It's been six months since the Lieutenant above me promised me a promotion. And he's been bringing it up for a while, yet he hasn't done a single thing to make it happen. I deserve to be an Officer. I'm more dedicated than most of the people who are already Officers. I've proven myself much more than they have. Yet I'm stuck in my current position."

"Must be rough," Riku said quietly.

Lightning nodded faintly, looking down at her hands in her lap. "I don't want to live a boring, mundane life. But that's what my life is right now. I'm dedicating all my time to work and putting the rest of my life on hold until I'm promoted. I'm sick of living like this."

"Seems like you're irritated with more than just that," Riku stated. Confused, Lightning looked over at him. "You're frustrated with being manipulated by your boss. I would be too."

"Empty promises and empty words," Lightning muttered, shaking her head. "All that I get are loaded threats. You know they don't mince words when it comes to your faults, but when it comes to recognizing success…well…"

"They don't," Riku finished.

Once again, Lightning nodded. "Yeah." Her hands curled into fists in her lap, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked up towards the sky. Riku was right; the Corps didn't show gratitude or recognition for actions. It was all politics. The people who were in power weren't there because of skill necessarily. A lot of them were there because politics got them there. She tsked, shaking her head in disbelief. "Listen to me. I really am spilling my guts to a stranger."

"Yeah, well, it happens," Riku said with a shrug.

"Not with me." She didn't make friends easily, and yet she could talk to a guy she just met about all her frustrations? "I don't know what's wrong with me today."

"Probably a lot, but everyone's got a lot wrong with them. It's normal."

"Guess so."

Lightning found herself shaking her head again, trying to get in a different place mentally. She didn't want to talk about this anymore. Now that she was done venting, she was more curious to find out more about the person who put up with her. "So, Riku-"

"Lightning!" an irritating familiar voice said from behind her. She and Riku both turned their heads just as Snow came over and put a hand on her shoulder. Her eye twitched in annoyance, but Snow didn't notice. "Serah sent me out to get you. Said you need to come back in and be social for a while."

"I'm being social out here," Lightning stated, lifting a hand and moving Snow's off her shoulder and onto the back of the bench.

"I can see that," he said, arching an eyebrow in interest. He probably never saw her talking to a guy alone before, especially not one who was so close to her own age and so handsome. "Still, Serah's orders remain. She said you'd know what happens if you don't come back in."

"I came out to the party. That wasn't a part of the deal," she responded icily, getting ticked off. Even Snow could tell, raising his hands in surrender as if to say, Don't kill the messenger. Lightning sighed, pushing herself up off the bench. "Fine," she said to Snow. She'd come back inside.

"Good choice," Snow Villiers said, giving her a thumbs-up in approval before. He turned around and walked back inside, shutting the door behind him to give Lightning and Riku a moment more of privacy. It didn't matter to her now; they weren't going to get deep in conversation now that she was getting dragged inside again.

Sighing, Lightning rose to her feet. "Guess I have no choice," she said, turning to face Riku as he too stood up. He nodded faintly in understanding.

"If you don't mind me asking…What did your sister threaten would happen if you didn't go back in?"

"She'd break out the baby pictures," Lightning said as she made a face.

Riku laughed, and that was when Lightning realized what a beautiful laugh he had. It was sweet. "That's something I actually wouldn't mind seeing," he stated. "You sure you don't want to stay out here?"

Lightning's face showed more disgust, the expression dramatic. It was unlike her to get this…juvenile, but she was enjoying it. She didn't question it. "No, I'm sure," she said, stepping around the bench and heading towards the door. That was when she noticed that Riku wasn't following. "Aren't you coming?" she asked with an arched brow.

"Wish I could, but I gotta get home," he said with a sheepish expression. "I work early tomorrow morning."

"On a Saturday? That's no fun," she said with some pity.

This time, it was Riku's turn to give an apathetic response. "Yeah, well, that's life." He stepped around the bench to stand closer to Lightning, though he wasn't imposing on her. He was smart enough not to do that. "But maybe I'll see you around sometime?"

"Yeah, maybe you will," Lightning said with a small nod. Her lips turned up in a faint smile, and Riku's did as well. For the first time that night, both of them felt a little shy. She chased away the feeling, holding out her hand for Riku to shake. "It was nice to meet you, Riku."

"You too, Lightning."

"Light," she said. When Riku gave her a confused look, she realized that she needed to explain further. "Call me Light."

"Light, hm," he hummed, his smile increasing a little in size. "I think that name suites you a little better than 'Lightning'."

Light's smile widened as well, and it was then that she and Riku let go of each other's hands in the handshake. She realized he was complimenting her, though it was subtle. It was…endearing.

Chuckling faintly in shyness, Riku lifted his hand to the back of his head and ran it over his shoulder-length silver hair. "Alright, Light, I'll see you around." He waved smoothly with that hand before he turned and walked away, leaving Lightning alone where she was.

The smile that she wore didn't wear off for a few seconds, her pale blue eyes on the young man who didn't turn around. But when she realized that she needed to get back inside, she wiped that smile off her expression before she turned around and went to face the torture that was waiting for her.


	2. Empty Words

_Empty Words_

It was Monday evening when Riku received a surprise visit from a certain somebody. The twenty-two year old had his own apartment in Bodhum. He lived by himself, naturally. He didn't have a significant other, and his parents were from The City of Dreams. This was where Riku chose to live his life; there was something about the beach that was very comforting and familiar to him. And the girl he talked to at the party, Light…He hadn't been able to get her off his mind. She was different from the other girls in Bodhum.

He heard somebody pound on his door, the young man snapping out of his daze as he pushed himself off the couch. He wasn't expecting anyone, so he briefly wondered who was on the other side of the dor. Regardless, he walked to the door in his jeans and navy-blue T-shirt and opened it up. He was surprised at who he saw on the other side of the door. "Light?"

Light wasn't the same as he saw her the other night. Her expression wasn't kind; it was irritated. Angry. She hmphed, lifting a hand and pushing Riku's chest roughly. He stumbled back as she let herself into the apartment, his expression confused. "Light, what's wrong?" _And how did you find out where I live?_

"Oh, I think you know_ exactly_ what's wrong," Lightning said through her teeth, glaring at Riku as she shut the door behind her.

"Um…no?" Riku asked with an arched brow. He folded his arms over his chest, looking at Lightning. "What's up?"

"**You**, that's what's up." She glared at him, eyes harsh. "You forgot to mention the other night that you were a part of PSICOM."

_That's it?_ "I didn't think it was that big of a deal," he said honestly, shrugging a little bit. So what if he was a soldier for PSICOM? He knew that his branch of the military was rivaled with Lightning's, but that didn't make a difference to him. His position in the military didn't define him. He defined himself.

"Stop acting so clueless!" Lightning scolded. "This is serious."

"I can't help but act clueless when I have no idea what you're accusing me of," Riku said tightly. "Start from the beginning."

"Alright, fine," she said with a huff, staring across the living room. "When I came into work today, I was called in to see my boss, Lieutenant Amador. He said he heard I was talking badly about him and my other superiors. He said it came from a member of PSICOM, and the only person I talked to from PSICOM about the issues was you."

Riku's eyes narrowed. "So you think I ratted on you," he summed up.

"Not think. **Know**," Lightning said. Her eyes were narrowed, showing viciousness as she glared up at Riku. "How dare you go and ruin everything like that, after hearing how hard I've worked to get where I am today? How heartless can you be?"

"I didn't do it! I swear, I wouldn't!"

"Don't you dare lie to my face!" Light cried. She lifted a hand to slap Riku, but his reflexes were just as quick as her temper was. He caught her hand by the wrist, stopping it completely.

"I'm not lying," he said lowly, staring at Light's enraged face more calmly. "There's no way I could have. You said your boss talked to you about this today, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well I was in Nautilus all day today visiting my parents. I couldn't have spoken to your boss. Heck, I don't even know who your boss _is_. You were careful not to use names the other night."

Light was silent, taking in Riku's logic. He didn't release her wrist and she didn't tear it away, her pale blue eyes locked onto his greenish-blues. Even she had to admit that the logic made sense. Riku didn't know the infrastructure of the Guardian Corps. But… "But you were the only person I talked to about work last night, and we were outside," she said, her rationality coming through instead of pure anger. "Nobody could have overheard."

"I doubt that," Riku said, thinking on his feet. "Think about it. We went outside to avoid dancing. What if somebody else was already outside and listening?"

"But who would listen in, and who would want to rat me out?"

"…You tell me," he said after a moment. "Was there anyone at the party who doesn't like you?"

Lightning lowered her gaze to Riku's chest, eyebrows furrowed in seriousness. He could tell that she wasn't staring at his muscles, though he almost wished that she was. Instead, she was just staring at what was within her sight as she tried to sort this out.

After a few moments, she spoke up, though her voice was soft. "There was nobody from the Corps at the party that I don't trust with my life," she said.

"Anybody from NORA out to get you? PSICOM?"

"No, no…" Light's eyes flashed so they were wide open. She realized something. "Yes."

"Yes to which one?" Riku asked with an arched brow.

"PSICOM. I thought I saw Cid Raines at the party."

"Raines? He seems like a nice enough guy to me…" Riku met him before, multiple times. He was the boss of Riku's boss. He seemed very tactically minded, not emotional. What would compel him to rat out Lightning when she didn't even say anything very bad?

"You don't understand," Lightning said, finally lowering her hand back to her side as Riku released her wrist. "Raines was my instructor at the Academy. He tried everything within his power to get me to join PSICOM, but I didn't agree with all their policies so I joined the Corps. Ever since then, he's held a grudge."

"So it's revenge that drove him to squeal on you."

"Not necessarily." Lightning started pacing, piecing the issues together in her mind. "It's possible that he either wants me to hate the Corps more or get fired and join PSICOM. I heard rumors that he was trying to take G.C. members along with his most elite soldiers in PSICOM to create his own super-team."

Riku hmphed, a small smirk appearing on his lips as he tried to break the tension in the room. "If he's creating a super-team, why didn't he ask me?"

"Ignoring that," Light said, still pacing.

"I think I'll ignore it too," Riku said in seriousness, seeing that Light wasn't up for jokes yet. "So now that we know who ratted you out, what can we do?"

"Nothing."

Riku blinked.

"I'm already on the bad side of Lieutenant Amador because of the rumor. It'll be even worse when Raines brings in the recording that he apparently has to prove my crime," Light stated, stopping walking as she looked at Riku.

He was surprised at her expression, which was stoic. She was wearing a mask to cover up the frustration now that she knew that nothing could be done. Or so she thought. Why couldn't something be done to fix this? "That's it, then?" he asked. "You're giving up just like that?"

"Not giving up," she said. "Just letting Raines play his politics this time. I won't fall into his traps again."

_I guess, that's smart,_ Riku thought, studying Light. She was already in trouble for what she said the other night, even if none of it was too terrible. She was just frustrated and venting. Wasn't she allowed to do that? It seemed unfair to him, but now he realized he needed to be careful as well. He didn't want to open his mouth and say something that he would regret.

"Riku," Light said, getting his attention as she stepped forward so she was right in front of him. "Thanks for helping me sort it out. And sorry for blaming you. I was wrong."

Riku nodded faintly in response to her, gazing at her for another moment longer before she turned and started towards the door. He opened his mouth and spoke despite his thoughts just a moment ago about not saying something he'd regret. But he didn't think he'd regret this. "Light, wait," he said when her hand was on the handle. She did as he asked, turning around to face him. "…I know I didn't cause this, but I'll make it right."

Light only laughed, shaking her head as she put a hand on her hip. She didn't take him seriously. "Leave it," she said. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does. You're not fooling me."

For some reason, Lightning looked surprised. Apparently people didn't see through her too often. "Look, I appreciate the offer," she said after a moment. "But whatever your plans are, they'll fall through, and I'll be left with another empty promise."

"These aren't empty words, Light," Riku said sincerely, taking a small step forward. "…But I see you won't believe me until I follow through." That was okay though, because he **would **follow through. He wouldn't leave her with another empty promise.

"Why would you want to follow through though? Sticking your nose where it belongs isn't a smart move when you're in the military."

This time, it was Riku's turn to laugh, though the laugh was a little bitter. "Probably right," he agreed. "But after this is done, you'll be in my debt."

"Ha," Light laughed, setting a hand on her hip. "Great. Because that's a place where I want to be," she said sarcastically.

"Don't worry, my request isn't unreasonable," he said, lifting a hand slightly to motion that he wasn't going to go over the top. Or maybe this was extremely over the top. He didn't know. "…One date."

Lightning blinked, her reaction more surprised than anything else. "What?"

"A date," he repeated, though he knew she heard him the first time. "If my words are empty like you think they are, then you've got nothing to worry about."

She studied him further, trying to figure him out, clearly. He was being sincere though; he…he liked Lightning. She made him feel happy, and that was what he really wanted in life. Happiness.

"Alright," she finally said. "You've got yourself a deal." She turned the handle on the door and finally stepped out, leaving Riku alone to his thoughts.

Now that he knew who caused Light's hassle at work, he just had to find some way to fix this. And he would definitely do just that, because he wanted to prove to Light that he wasn't another person who would continuously give her empty words and empty promises. But in order for her to see that, they at least needed to speak again in private, without work in the equation. A date was the only way he could think to accomplish that. And when he was completely honest with himself, he realized he was ecstatic that she didn't turn him down flat. He would take advantage of the situation.

He would set things right.


	3. Fulfilled Promises

Fulfilled Promises

_I can't believe he actually managed to do it_, Light thought, shaking her head faintly as she approached his apartment. It had been a few days since she confronted him and blamed him for the problem, and a few days since the problem was fixed. As she walked, she recalled what happened that day.

She had been called to Lieutenant Amador's office on Tuesday, the day after the accusations. She waited outside in one of the chairs, able to hear that Cid Raines from PSICOM was already inside and preparing to show the evidence to Amador to prove that Lightning was in the wrong. But in reality, something went wrong on Raines's part. The audio that he had proving her "guilt" was erased from his audio device. Then Lieutenant Amador lost his temper.

He scolded Raines severely, saying that this was all a part of his plot to take away one of Amador's best soldiers. And, from now on, he wouldn't be trusting anything Cid said at face value. Light still remembered the words that she heard clearly through the door: _"You almost made me fire my greatest soldier. I hope you're happy." _

After it was all said and done, Raines left and Lightning went into the office alone. He apologized profusely and assured her that she wasn't being demoted at all, and that he was wrong to question her integrity. But he didn't promise her a promotion either. That made Lightning upset, but she didn't say anything to his face. She was still too shocked that Raines actually couldn't provide the evidence he promised.

Riku came through after all.

And now, she was too.

It felt so strange, to be on her way to a date. She wouldn't admit it, but…this was her first date. She never looked for another significant other in life because she didn't believe she could find one. She was always in survival mode, always preparing for the next fight. Always preparing for the losses in life. But to gain…That would be something truly new to her.

"Tch," she grunted, lifting her hand to the curly hair that dangled over her soldier as always. There was no need to get sentimental here. Nothing was going to change…_She _couldn't change. She was who she was. She was only going on this date because she was forced to, not because she believed Riku could actually be her life partner. Or so she told herself.

Riku was really confusing, that was for sure. He gave her specific instructions for the date: show up to his apartment in clothes that she could be active in and bring nicer clothes along in another bag. She tried to figure out why, but Riku was one of the few people that she couldn't read. It was somewhat irritating, but at the same time…appealing. Tonight would be interesting.

She knocked on the door of his apartment as her bag was slung over her shoulder, the soldier wearing black yoga pants and a grey tank top. She hoped that this was alright for whatever Riku was planning.

When he opened the door and she saw him wearing sweats and a wife-beater, she felt reassured. But also a little flustered. Even dressed down, he was really handsome. Really out of her league. Little did she know that he was thinking the same about her. "Hey," she greeted with a slight nod.

"Hey," Riku said as he stepped aside and motioned for her to come in. As she did, he gave her further instruction. "You can just throw your bag on the couch or something. We'll be back later."

"Where are we going?" Lightning asked, doing as Riku said and setting her bag on the couch.

"Not telling yet," he responded with a slight smirk. He held out an item in his hand for Light to take, a water bottle. "You're going to need this."

"For what?" she asked again.

"You're a nosey one, aren't you?" Riku asked as his own smirk grew. He didn't even bother waiting for a response since her expression clearly answered the question. "Tell you what: Let's start walking, and then you can ask all the questions you want."

"Sort of like the other night?" Like when they were talking about Light's job and Riku had to ask twenty questions to pry something out of her?

"Exactly," he said, offering Lightning a small smile. "C'mon. Let's get going."

*…*…*…*…*…*

This was most certainly the strangest date Lightning had ever been on…and the only one. But before she left, Serah told her what to expect. None of that was happening. Riku wasn't being extremely flirtatious with her or touching her all the time. She could only remember one instance where he touched her in a way that could be considered flirtatious, and that was when she was about to walk the wrong direction. And the location of their date wasn't romantic either. After about twenty questions (and seeing the sign on the building when they got there), she figured out what his plans were.

They were at a rock-climbing building.

After Riku paid for the both of them, he helped strap her in to her harness (though she didn't need assistance) and then belayed her. And though he insisted that she didn't need to belay him, she took time to do that for a while. She was a soldier; she could handle his weight even if he was more built and taller than she was. It was alright if she wasn't always climbing; she still had fun.

After a while though, two of the workers belayed the both of them so that they could climb together. That was when they really started having conversation, just about each other and random topics in general. Nothing was forced, and Riku was careful with the questions that he asked. What she didn't understand was how he could read her so easily. She wasn't an open book, yet he knew to be careful asking about family and friends. It seemed like he cared more about her than her relationships with those around her anyway.

But rock climbing didn't last forever. The two of them returned to Riku's apartment and they both got cleaned up. Riku was also wise enough not to go to a very fancy restaurant after they were both sweating at the rock climbing center. New clothes could only clean them up so much, after all. Instead, they went to the beach and ate the picnic-type food that he brought. It wasn't great food, but it wasn't terrible either. Riku clearly put effort into it so she took it with a small smile and just ate. This whole thing was really…sweet. Not intimidating, even for her. It helped that they were just in jeans and casual shirts and not dressed up in cocktail dresses or anything. She was comfortable with him.

"Now that we're alone-ish," Riku said, glancing out of the corner of his eye at another group further down the beach who clearly couldn't hear them and weren't interested in them, "do you mind if I ask more personal questions?"

"Guess not," she said with a shrug. "Just as long as you don't mind me not answering some of them."

"Fair enough. …What's the deal with your family? Is it just you and Serah?"

Lightning nodded faintly as she chewed on her sandwich. She had seen this question coming; Riku had been subtly building up to it. Who wouldn't be curious about the situation? They had a party the other night in their house and no parents were around. Sure, they were grown up (eighteen and twenty-one), but sisters normally didn't live together in such a nice house unless they were still with their parents. She swallowed and elaborated on the family situation so Riku wouldn't have to ask any awkward questions. "My dad died when I was seven. Mom passed when I was fifteen."

"Wow…" Riku trailed off, gazing at the ocean as his eyebrows furrowed. "What…What happened?"

"My dad was in the Corps," she said. "He was killed on some kind of top-secret mission. And Mom…she was sick for a long time. A disease that ran in her family."

"…I'm…I'm so sorry."

She only shrugged. "Don't say sorry. You didn't do anything." She didn't like it when people apologized pointlessly; it was more empty words to her. Even if people said it with good intentions, she felt a little irritated with whoever said it.

"No, but it's sad when two girls lose their parents when they're so young."

"Yeah, but we survived," Lightning said stoically. "I became Serah's legal guardian when I was fifteen." Predicting the next, obvious question, she answered it automatically. "No other family members to take us in."

Riku looked over at Light, his aqua eyes studying her in a new light. It was like he was analyzing her, which she wasn't sure if she liked or not. She wasn't used to anybody actually trying to step into her life like Riku was trying to.

"What did you do after that?" he asked after a moment.

Again, Light shrugged. "We kept living. We went to school, and I managed to get a grade ahead while working a job to sustain me and Serah. I graduated soon after I turned seventeen and then joined the Corps." She looked over at Riku and saw the same look she had been feeling for a while, the gaze that said he was trying to figure something out. "What?"

"Nothing," he said as he shook his head. "Just…You're the only person I know who would rise out of adversity like that and come out on top. It's admirable."

Even if she wasn't accustomed to getting them, Light knew a compliment when she heard one. "Well, thanks," she said softly, unable to take her eyes off Riku for some reason. His gaze was so…earnest. Sincere. That wasn't something that she often saw in the young men in Bodhum. "Do you mind if I ask you a question or two now?"

"If it's about my family, I can just explain right out front."

"It's not about your family, it's about you," Light said. She wasn't used to having this type of conversation with anyone, ever, but there was something about Riku that compelled her to be honest. "I'm just…trying to understand…Why would you want to go on a date with me?"

A small smile tugged at Riku's lips as he answered. "Because," he said simply. "You're special."

Special? Light rolled her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief as she looked to the ocean. "I'm the black sheep of Bodhum," she said. "While every other girl is concerned with the next date, what they're wearing, and their friends, I'm concerned with working out and getting stronger."

"Exactly," he said without batting an eye. "You're not shallow." He lifted a hand and set it on Light's shoulder, that being the first very intimate touch of the date. "You're not selfish, either. You gave up your life for the sake of your sister." As soon as he said those words, he noticed Light shaking her head. "What?"

"I didn't do everything for Serah," she said quietly, looking down at her lap. "I did a lot of it for me. It was my way of coping with the loss of my mom."

Still Riku didn't shun her. "So?" he asked softly. "That doesn't change anything. You're a good person, Light. I know you love your sister, and you joined the Corps to help others too. You may not speak much of yourself, but I can tell that much."

"Why are you doing this, Riku?" she inquired quietly. Why was he so interested in her? There were other girls in this city who would love to be with him, yet he pursued her. He was different than every other person she knew; better. So much better.

"Because, Light," he said softly, moving his hand off her shoulder. He lifted his hand closer to her face, the backs of his fingers trailing over her cheek. "I like you. And I…I haven't had anybody in the past who made such a lasting impression on me after just one meeting. I want to have you in my life."

"You don't even know me," she whispered, though she got chills at Riku's gentle movement.

"I know," he whispered in response, nodding faintly. "But I _want_ to. Will you let me know you, Light?"

Lightning shook her head automatically, though that wasn't her actual response. "Riku," she started. "I don't…" I don't let anyone know me. But when she looked into his aqua eyes, she couldn't just push him away. He was the first person to actually want to know her…And the first person who was wise enough to approach her in a way that didn't scare her off. That made her change her mind. "…Yes," she said softly. "I'll let you know me."

Riku smiled widely, nodding to her but keeping his hands to himself. "We'll go at your pace," he said softly, referring to whatever type of relationship they'd have. "You let me in at your pace and I'll take whatever you give me."

This time, it was Light's turn to smile. "Alright," she said quietly. "Deal."

*…*…*…*…*…*

**Author's note: That's it! That's the end of the story. (: I know, I know. You're asking yourself what comes next. That's good. YOU decide what comes next, whether it's a happy ending or something else. But for now, I'm done working on this story. If I ever decide to change it and add more, I will. But I'd rather provide new, fresh stories if I can. **

**So that's that, kiddies. Review, check out my other stories, and have a good day!**


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